Monday, 16 May 2011

The little things

The other day a friend told us about something another friend had for sale. We agreed to go and look at it, preferably early in the morning over the weekend. Our intermediary was happy with that as he gets up early anyway. He agreed to ring us with a time.

As luck had it, he rang back when we were asleep, and left a message. The next morning - not having checked the answerphone - we were still expecting to go look at the prospective goody. Have you ever sat around waiting for someone to ring you with time and location for a meeting?

Invariably their idea of early is midday and the morning is happily wasted as you sit around getting more and more irritable. Or at least I do, and so does Partner. Just in case there is anyone out there who doesn't know, I am a morning person. By which I mean I get up between six and seven am, like to do things in the morning, start thinking about lunch at midday, do nothing in the afternoon, start feeling tired, have some tea/supper later on, and fall into bed in the evening. Not a night-time person by any stretch of the imagination. Night-time and darkness are for sleeping.

And the second thing to say is, I am probably impatient. I do NOT like waiting around. Even waiting for the bus to school I used to get annoyed when it was late, and timed my arrival at the bus stop a couple of minutes before the expected time, but allowing for the odd occasion when it was early. Waiting at bus stops for more than five minutes was never my thing. All that changed somewhat when I went to India and had to wait days for a train. But waiting around for someone to ring to set a time? And seeing the day disappear in front of your eyes? No. Not my thing.

So I decided we would go out, because we would be back home by mid morning and still able to make any appointment. And off we went. After a few minutes, my 'phone went. Had we got the message on the answerphone? No. The appointment was for 5pm that day as it was the only time the other person could manage. This is the weekend. This person does not work at weekends as far as know. Why are we all hanging around until 5pm? No-one stays in bed that long. And this is a five minute job - go and look at something and decide if we want it. We agreed to turn up for 5pm.

How are we getting there, I asked? Walking? I thought your partner could drive, says our intermediary. Hmmm. Well that poses a problem to start with as it is a van and there is only room for one passenger. Where was I supposed to go? Ah. I get it. Nothing to do with me. So I'm not factored into any of this. Well where is it, I asked? Oh, it's near Such and Such Street, says intermediary. That wasn't even five minutes away from us, no need to drive there thinks me, but strangely and unusually said nothing. We'll ring when we get back in an hour or so, I said and clicked off the 'phone.

When we got back we rang and got directions for this place, although not the actual address. I should say that this goody was a vehicle bit and on the vehicle so all we had to do was spot the vehicle in the right car park and have a look without hassling anyone. Off we went. Gib is not a big place but when you don't have good directions, it's not always easy to find somewhere.

We looked at every conceivable nearby car park but the vehicle we were looking for was nowhere to be found. So we came home. That's enough of the tale without going into really boring detail. Basically, someone who had nothing to do with the proposed purchase was acting as intermediary (no cut involved because it wasn't even an expensive buy) and telling us time, but no location, how to get there ie driving not walking, assuming that we were going to buy it anyway so would put said bit in vehicle, AND thinking that I had nothing to do with this possible purchase. Oh. No. Here we are with the money, to buy something and no-one is fitting around us. Or telling us what we need to know.

Point number three - when I am going somewhere - I like to know where I am going. I want an address and specific instructions. 'It's around Such and Such Street' and 'Go up there and it's in the car park' don't really suit. So people, don't give me orders, don't organise what I am doing, and please provide accurate directions in future. And early morning does NOT mean 5pm. Everyone's weekends are precious time. We want to enjoy ours too.